Stock Markets April 24, 2026 12:05 PM

Mixed Close in German Markets as DAX Inches Lower; MDAX Suffers Larger Drop

Software, food and technology stocks provided support while construction, healthcare and utilities weighed on indexes at the Frankfurt close

By Marcus Reed
Mixed Close in German Markets as DAX Inches Lower; MDAX Suffers Larger Drop

German equities finished mixed on Friday. Gains in the Software, Food & Beverages and Technology sectors were offset by declines in Construction, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare and Utilities. The DAX slipped 0.06% at the close, the MDAX dropped 1.70% and the TecDAX rose 0.57%. Market breadth favored decliners, and select names recorded new highs and lows for key time frames.

Key Points

  • DAX closed down 0.06% while MDAX fell 1.70% and TecDAX rose 0.57% - technology and software helped offset weakness elsewhere.
  • Market breadth favored decliners with 420 stocks down versus 190 advancing and 31 unchanged on the Frankfurt exchange.
  • Individual large-cap moves included SAP SE rising to lead the DAX and Rheinmetall AG and Jungheinrich AG hitting 52-week lows, while Siemens Energy reached all-time highs.

Germany's main equity gauges closed the week with divergent outcomes after a session in which sector-specific moves pulled indices in different directions. Software, Food & Beverages and Technology stocks provided upward momentum for parts of the market, while Construction, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare and Utilities stocks finished lower and applied downward pressure.

At the close in Frankfurt the DAX fell 0.06%, the MDAX decreased 1.70% and the TecDAX advanced 0.57%.


Top performers on the DAX

  • SAP SE (ETR:SAPG) led the benchmark, rising 4.68% or 6.58 points to close at 147.28.
  • Siemens Energy AG (ETR:ENR1n) added 2.64% or 4.82 points to end at 187.62.
  • Infineon Technologies AG NA O.N. (ETR:IFXGn) was up 1.50% or 0.80 points to finish at 54.15.

Lagging names on the DAX

  • Rheinmetall AG (ETR:RHMG) fell 6.24% or 87.80 points to close at 1,319.20.
  • Bayer AG NA (ETR:BAYGN) declined 3.85% or 1.54 points to end at 38.50.
  • E.ON SE (ETR:EONGn) dropped 3.82% or 0.74 points to 18.64.

MDAX movers

  • United Internet AG NA (ETR:UTDI) was among the MDAX leaders, rising 2.20% to 26.90.
  • Sartorius AG VZO O.N. (ETR:SATG_p) climbed 1.02% to settle at 217.10.
  • Fuchs Se Pref (ETR:FPE3_p) gained 0.85% to close at 37.94.

MDAX decliners

  • Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (ETR:JUNG_p) fell 14.83% to 24.24.
  • flatexDEGIRO AG (ETR:FTKn) lost 9.73% to settle at 30.42.
  • Hensoldt Ag (ETR:HAGG) declined 6.89% to 73.02.

TecDAX highlights

  • SAP SE (ETR:SAPG) again featured among the session leaders in the TecDAX, rising 4.68% to 147.28.
  • Siltronic AG (ETR:WAFGn) increased 4.30% to settle at 73.95.
  • Atoss Software AG (ETR:AOFG) gained 3.92% to close at 82.20.

TecDAX decliners

  • Hensoldt Ag (ETR:HAGG) was the largest loser in the index, down 6.89% to 73.02.
  • Eckert & Ziegler AG O.N. (ETR:EUZG) slipped 2.29% to 14.53.
  • Cancom SE O.N. (ETR:COKG) fell 2.20% to 24.45.

On the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, decliners outnumbered advancers by 420 to 190, while 31 stocks ended the session unchanged.

Certain names hit notable price milestones during the session. Shares of Rheinmetall AG (ETR:RHMG) moved to 52-week lows, closing down 6.24% at 1,319.20. Jungheinrich AG O.N.VZO (ETR:JUNG_p) also fell to 52-week lows, losing 14.83% to close at 24.24. Conversely, Siemens Energy AG (ETR:ENR1n) rose to all-time highs, advancing 2.64% to 187.62, and Infineon Technologies AG NA O.N. (ETR:IFXGn) climbed to five-year highs, up 1.50% to 54.15. Siltronic AG (ETR:WAFGn) recorded a 52-week high, rising 4.30% to 73.95.

The DAX volatility index, which measures the implied volatility of DAX options, increased 0.77% to 23.11.


Commodities and currencies

  • Gold Futures for June delivery was up 0.40% or 18.99 to $4,742.99 a troy ounce.
  • Crude oil for delivery in June fell 2.47% or 2.37 to hit $93.48 a barrel.
  • The June Brent oil contract declined 0.60% or 0.63 to trade at $104.44 a barrel.

In currency trading, EUR/USD was unchanged 0.31% to 1.17, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.02% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.24% at 98.36.


Market takeaways

The session illustrated a market split driven by sector rotation - technology and software names provided support for pockets of the market while capital goods and utilities exerted pressure on headline indices. A heavier weight of decliners on the exchange underscored a broadly cautious tone despite pockets of strength and several notable record price events.

Risks

  • Sector concentration risk - gains were concentrated in Software, Food & Beverages and Technology while Construction, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare and Utilities lagged, creating uneven index performance.
  • Volatility risk - the DAX volatility index rose 0.77% to 23.11, indicating increased option-implied uncertainty which could affect trading conditions.
  • Commodity and currency swings - notable moves in crude oil and gold, plus shifts in key currency pairs and the US Dollar Index Futures, could feed through to corporate costs, margins and investor sentiment in energy- and commodity-sensitive sectors.

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